Synopsis:
Formed in 1969, Electronic Music Studios (EMS) quickly became innovators for the recording, production and advancement of electronic music. The ideas and designs that bubbled forth out of the ingenuitive minds of Peter Zinovieff, Tristram Cary, David Cockerell and others, led to the creation of some of the most wildly original musical/sound design equipment ever conceived. The VCS3, Synthi A + AKS, Synthi 100, Synthi E, Synthi Logik and the Soundbeam are among these, almost unworldly, devices.

It is often said EMS gear has attained cult status, reaching a fervor of near worship among its users. The Synthi Group is an example and collection of such users. United through the Synthi blog and forum (www.thesynthi.de) and located throughout the world, the group's members have come together for a planned series of compilation volume releases where the individuality and approach of each member towards their EMS instrument is showcased and broadcasted for all to experience. The listener will hear wildly different examples of styles and sounds that this original, and oft times, vintage equipment can create.

EMS were true pioneers from the very beginning, always looking beyond the culture and times they were surrounded and seemingly trapped in. Still around today, thanks to Robin Wood and Ludwig Rehberg, they are one of the few companies involved with electronic instrument production that have had a continued run since their inception. The Synthi Group have honed the original pioneering spirit and DIY ethic of EMS with their Volume series, a collection of sounds encompassing beautiful dreamscapes, synaesthetic visions, dark ambience, aural abstractions, sonic absurdities, pulsating analog, glitch, ring modulators, and envelope shapers generating trapezoidal geometry. Beginning with Volume 1, the Synthi Group compilations aim to ensure the story of EMS continues well into the future of electronic music production.
[Synopsis by Alka]

Tracklist:

Track 1
Artist: Don Hassler
Title: No Subsequent Interaction Synthi Recording No. 1
Time: 2:04
Device: EMS Synthi A MK1
Genre: irritating
Contact: http://www.donhassler.com
Location: USA

Track 2
Artist: The Vegan Surgeons
Title : VCS3ImprovC
Time: 6:53
Device: EMS VCS3 Mark I, recorded and processed
digitally through Audiomulch
Genre: 50-60’s electroacoustic music
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/thevegansurgeons
Location: Scotland

Track 3
Artist : Trap & Zoid
Title : Gnomes evasion
Time: 5:26
Device : EMS Synthi A + Aria AD10 analog delay,
recorded live in one take with Edirol R-09HR, unprocessed.
Genre : live electronics / psychedelic / experimental
Contact : http://www.myspace.com/trapandzoid
Location : Brussels, Belgium

Track 4
Artist: Cray
Title: 29days laterrr
Time: 6:15
Device: EMS Synthi AKS, Pencils,
live improvising into Audiomulch.
Genre: Avant Electronics
Contact: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Cray
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Track 5
Artist: Sam Samshuijzen
Title: Simple
Time: 2:55
Device: Modified EMS Synthi AKS
Randrum pulse generator/divider for the returned ES
triggering of the synthi 4 track analog tape recorder
Remixed with a digital system into a 4 channel composition (4C).
This is the stereo mix of those 4 (2C).
Done in Studio Denkraam, Ede NL, 1980.
It's called simple, because it makes basic use of a
sequence voltage for one oscillator, while playing
the realtime voltage to another oscillator simultaneously.
Genre: Electronic
Contact: http://www.xs4all.nl/~samzen/
Location: Netherlands

Track 6
Artist: Pin
Title: Can the sound change
Time: 6:40
Device: EMS Synthi AKS, multilayering of sounds, recorded and processed
digitally through ProTools.
Genre: Experimental
Contact: http://www.thesynthi.de
Location: Germany

Track 7
Artist: Mono-Poly
Title: Do you observe?
Time: 6:01
Device: EMS Synthi AKS cv-ed by Blippoo Box witch processes
audio + Delay and Reverb
Genre: Experimental
Contact: http://mono-poly.blogspot.com
Location: Netherlands

Track 8
Artist: Werd
Title: Smirk
Time: 1:44
Device: EMS Synthi A & Roland Space Echo 201
Genre: Experimental, broadcasted in 1979 by radio KRO Hilversum 4
"Collage van Alledaags en Zeldzaam"
Contact: http://werdav.tripod.com/index.html
Location: Netherlands

Track 9
Artist: Johan Schurer
Title: FrogWaltz
Time: 2:05
Device: EMS Synthi AKS
Genre: Experimental
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/johanschurer
Location: The Netherlands

Track 10
Artist: Impulsantwort
Title: Ich kann den Strom in der Wand hören.
Time: 7:00
Device: EMS Synthi AKS 80 treated by EMS Soundbeam recorded via RME
Fireface,
processed digitally through ProTools.
Genre: Drone
Contact: http://www.impulsantwort.com
Location: Germany

Track 11
Artist: THM
Title: Setting Sun
Time: 6:45
Device: EMS Synthi AKS (London UK model from 1975), only some Roland
RE-301
Chorus Echo and SRV-330 Reverb added; recorded and processed digitally
via Cubase 4
Genre: Space Music / Ambient Drone
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/thmsynthfreak
thm[at]pandora.be
Location: Belgium

Track 12
Artist: Delia (Leo Learchi - Luca Isabella - Daniele De Rossi)
Title: Trilogia per Delia (live excerpt)
Device: EMS Synthi A, AKS, E, Digisound 80 modular synthesizer,
field recordings, PC.
Genre: Experimental
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/leomodular
Location: Italy

Track 13
Artist: Alka
Title: Interrupt Structure
Time: 3:57
Device: EMS Synthi Mk1 AKS partially processed through the Elektron
Machinedrum
SPS1 UW Mk2. Further processing and recording through Apple Logic Pro.
Genre: Electronic / Glitch / Experimental
Contact: http://www.reverbnation.com/buryn
Location: USA

Track 14
Artist: Tunnel
Title: Descent
Time: 6:08
Device: EMS VCS3 Mk II, Boss DD-3 Delay
Genre: Improv / Experimental
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/tunnelx
Location: Australia

Track 15
Artist: D. Skevington
Title: Block I
Time: 5.10
Device: Layers of direct and amplified Synthi A.
Genre: Psychedelic/Rock
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/danielskevington
Location: UK

Track 16
Artist: Synthiaks
Title: Bump
Time: 3:30
Device: EMS Synthi AKS, live recording.
Genre: Experimental
Contact: baby_tog[at]hotmail.com
Location: UK

Track 17
Artist: Maelem
Title: Dripping party
Time: 6:59
Device: EMS Synthi A
Genre: Noise
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/maelem
Location: France

Track 18
Artist: Splitradix
Title: Harmony Suitcase
Time: 4:37
Devices: EMS Synthi A, Roland TR808, Sequential Circuits Pro One,
Roland System 100 101, Roland SH101, Roland MKS80, Roland RE301
Genre: Electro
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/splitradix
Location: Berlin, Germany

Track 19
Artist: Level-Repeat
Title: Syncophant
Time: 5:32
Device: Live Performance using a modified EMS Synthi AKS.
Making heavy use of oscillator sync.
Genre: Experimental
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/levelrepeat
Location: United Kingdom

***

Contacts:
http://www.thesynthi.de
http://thesynthigroup.blogspot.com
http://www.myspace.com/thesynthigroup

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